One of the key elements to creating a successful beauty business is putting together a team. It’s crucial to understand how to build a team for your business, including who to include in your team and how to hire and manage them. Even if you are starting out as a solopreneur and intending to do all of the work yourself, you will need to hire a team to grow, and it’s helpful to think about which parts of the work you want to offload first.
Roles and responsibilities in your business
When it comes to a beauty business, there’s no doubt that there are many moving parts. Some responsibilities include administrative tasks, managing your team, taking on the creative work of making a compelling brand, managing finances, product development, and numerous other tasks. Here are some additional departments to consider when discussing the varying roles in your business:
- Administrative
- Mailing products
- Filing Trademark documents
- Answering emails
- Managerial
- Managing team/interns
- Communicating with team
- Creative
- Packaging Design
- Website Design
- Copywriting
- Newsletter
- Financial
- Quickbooks: review monthly expenses & income
- File sales & use tax
- Marketing
- Social media management
- Ads
- Relationship building
- Content creation
- Product Development
- Testing products
- Working with chemists or manufacturers
- Ordering products
Decide which gaps need to be filled
Now it’s time to take a look at the list of tasks you’re responsible for. There are some tasks for which you should hire help. I recommend you hire interns for a few hours a week to do the tasks you are unwilling to do and those you want to offload to free up your own time.
There are also some tasks for which you may want to hire an expert or professional, such as graphic and web design, copywriting, accounting, and legal matters. If you aren’t a designer, it is a good idea to hire someone to put together your initial branding elements such as your logo, fonts, and colors.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the different tasks required from different members of your business:
Tasks you or your co-founder will do:
- What do you do well?
- What do you enjoy doing?
- What are you willing to learn how to do?
Tasks for which you should hire interns:
- What are you not willing to do?
- Which tasks do you want to offload to someone else?
Tasks for which you should hire an expert or professional (i.e. a package designer, writer, accountant, lawyer, etc.):
- What higher-level skills do you lack?
Working with interns
Hiring interns can take a lot of work off your plate. To make the best use of your interns’ time, write up a task list of what needs to be accomplished for each quarter or month, including due dates, and give it to them ahead of time. Agree upon the number of hours you want them to work each week and have them track their time. Finally, feedback is key. Make sure you check in with your interns weekly to catch up on their progress. Here are some commonly asked questions regarding hiring interns for your business:
Q: Where do you find them?
A: Reach out to schools – find out where the best programs are
Q: What do you pay them?
A: You may offer to pay them minimum wage or you may offer them work as unpaid interns. However, keep in mind that if they are unpaid, you will most likely end up spending more time with them, as they may be less motivated.
Q: What is your hiring process?
A: 1. Have them submit a portfolio if they have one and/or do a sample writing assignment. This depends on the type of intern you are hiring.
- Interview them
- Give them a probationary period
Q: How do you manage them?
A: 1. Make a task list for the next quarter so they know what to work on, including the due dates
- Have them track their time
- Check in on a weekly basis
Contracts
For each intern and freelancer you hire, you will want a contract, signed by both of you. You can find sample contracts on Legal Zoom, use a contract you’ve had with someone else and modify it, or hire a lawyer to write a contract for you. The contract should specify the scope of work that will be done, the amount you’re paying, and what each of you agree to do as part of the agreement.
Setting up an advisory board
In addition to putting together a team for your business, you may want to create an advisory board, as well. You can find advisors on LinkedIn or on industry-specific organizations like Cosmetic Executive Women, aka CEW.org. In order to put together your board, consider following these guidelines:
- Look at your weaknesses and have people from those areas help you
- Find them on LinkedIn or industry-specific organizations like CEW.org
- Give them a small percentage of your company
- Work with a lawyer
- Make sure you retain your rights
- Make sure they have proven success in your industry
- Find people who specialize in:
- Online sales for beauty products
- Marketers
- CEOs of beauty brands
- Investors
- Looking at the numbers
- Working with different types of buyers
- Online sales for beauty products
- They should be aware of your budget and help you succeed with the budget you have
Takeaway
Setting up your business’s team is no easy feat, but with these guidelines, you’ll be well on your way to finding a great team. As John Carmack said, “ A strong team can take any crazy vision and turn it into reality.”
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